Nancy Drew Files 7 - Deadly Doubles - Rewritten
by Arglefumph
Summary: An attempt at improving the seventh Nancy Drew Files book. Nancy meets her tennis-playing twin and stops a communist plot in Washington DC!
1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:** This is an attempt at rewriting Nancy Drew Files #7: Deadly Doubles. The original book is tolerable, but it suffers from sloppy editing and needs minor restructuring. I thought I would try my hand at improving it.

* * *

"Are you ready?" Nancy Drew asked, walking into the bedroom where her two best friends were talking.

"We've been ready for twenty minutes now," George Fayne said. She glanced at her wristwatch. "I swear, if I miss the first tennis match because of Senator Kilpatrick, I'll never vote for her again."

"You were too young to vote during the last election," Bess Marvin, George's cousin, said.

"You know what I mean," George said, getting up off the bed. "This is a once in a lifetime opportunity! How often do you get to see tennis players from twenty different countries together in the same place?"

George was a professional athlete, and she had invited the other two girls to come with her to Virginia, so they could watch the International Women's Semi-Pro Tennis Tournament. It was being held at a college about forty minutes away from Washington D.C.

"Let me think...every year at the French Open?" Bess said. She adjusted her pink top, which fit snugly against her curvy body. "I still don't see what the big deal about tennis is. It's mostly just running back and forth."

"Like _you_ did at the mall last week?" Nancy teased.

"Hey, it's not _my _fault they had sales at two different stores," Bess said. "I'm just saying, I prefer swimming."

"Really?" George asked, surprised. "But swimming is harder exercise than tennis is."

"No, not going swimming! I mean, I prefer _watching_ swimming," Bess said. "Have you seen the bodies on those swimmers? They're _gorgeous_. And those swimsuits..."

Bess smiled happily, overcome by daydreams of hunks in swimsuits. "I think we lost Bess," Nancy said.

George checked her watch again. "If you don't get your call in the next half-hour, I'm going ahead without you," she said. "Teresa Montenegro is playing at two, and I can't miss that."

"Right, the girl from Central America," Nancy said. The TV stations had been all abuzz about Teresa's first public appearance outside of her home country.

"San Carlos is in _South _America, not Central America," George corrected. "But yes, everyone's excited to see her play. She's supposed to be really great!"

"I'm excited to see her, too," Nancy said. "My tennis game has been—"

The phone on the bedside table came to life with a loud ring. "Finally!" George said, as Nancy picked it up.

"Hello, Nancy Drew speaking," Nancy said.

"Hello, Nancy, it's Marilyn Kilpatrick," the voice on the other side of the line said. "Sorry I'm late. I had some important business to wrap up."

"That's okay," Nancy said. "My father said you wanted to talk with me?"

Nancy's father, Carson Drew, was a well known prosecuting attorney in her home town of River Heights. Carson and Senator Kilpatrick had gone to law school together, and when the senator heard Nancy would be in the area, she insisted on getting in contact with her.

"That I do," Senator Kilpatrick said. "I have a mission for you."

Nancy felt the hairs on the back of her neck stand up. This sounded important. "A—a mission?"

"Yes. I need you to do something for me at the tennis tournament. I imagine you have a plain white t-shirt, yes? Wear that to the tournament, along with something blue. Jeans will work, but a blue skirt would be better."

"I don't understand," Nancy said. "Why do I need to wear a specific outfit?"

"So the courier will recognize you, of course."

"Courier?" Nancy asked. "What courier?"

Senator Kilpatrick sighed. "I'm sorry. Let me start from the beginning. I'm having a package delivered to the girls' locker room at the tournament today, at 5:00. I'd like you to pick it up for me."

Something about the senator's tone worried Nancy. "What kind of package?"

"I'm afraid that's classified information. As soon as you get the package, bring it directly to me. I'll be in the VIP box in the stands. I was originally going to do the drop-off myself, but...you'll look more inconspicuous than I would, at a college gym."

"So...you want me to get a package and take it to you," Nancy said. "Is that all?"

"That's it," Senator Kilpatrick said. "I know it sounds odd, but don't worry. There's very little chance that anything bad will happen. Thank you, Nancy."

The senator hung up, before Nancy could ask one of the dozens of questions floating around in her head. Nancy looked up to see Bess and George staring at her with concerned faces.

"What was _that_ all about?" George asked.

"Are...are you a secret agent now?" Bess asked.

"I—I don't know," Nancy said. She said nothing for a few seconds. "But I'm going to find out. Do you have a blue skirt I can borrow?"

* * *

When the girls arrived at the college grounds, the parking lot was already filled. Nancy dropped Bess and George off near the stadium, then she circled around the area until she found a space near a dirt lane several blocks away.

Locking her car, Nancy paused for a moment and examined the map of the school campus. It looked like the school's tennis stadium was connected to the gym. Nancy decided to quickly check out the girls' locker room, before watching the tournament.

The main entrance had a ticket booth in front, but around the corner, Nancy found a pair of glass doors which were unguarded. She pushed them open and stepped inside. As the doors banged shut behind her, hands closed roughly on her shoulders. She turned to see three foreign-looking men with cruel faces.

"Somos los banditos incompetentes," said the man who was touching Nancy. "Ahora, eres nuestra cautiva."

Nancy gasped involuntarily. She didn't know much Spanish, but she recognized the word _banditos_—it meant "bandits".

* * *

**Author's Note: **I didn't make many changes from the book in this chapter. Mostly, I fleshed out the details of Nancy's secret mission, and I introduced Senator Kilpatrick. In the book, the senator waits six chapters before she appears and explains the storyline. That ends up being a stupid move, because if Nancy knew the details of the mission from the very beginning, the drop-off would have been successful.


	2. Chapter 2

The Spanish-speaking bandits rushed Nancy. Before she could scream, one of them shoved a gag in her mouth. One of the others grabbed her hands roughly.

Nancy struggled, but it was no use. The three men had the element of surprise on their side. They quickly tied up Nancy's hands and feet. The largest bandit threw Nancy over his shoulder, then they covered her with a blanket before leaving the building.

"MMMMM! MMMM!" Nancy cried, hoping to catch the attention of a passerby.

"Silencio!" the bandit said, hitting her on the side. He said a few threatening-sounding phrases in Spanish, then hit her again.

Nancy could hear the gravel being crunched underfoot as the men took her away. She caught a brief glimpse of a black limousine with tinted windows, before they threw her inside like a sack of potatoes.

The man spoke to her again, but she only undertood one word: _muerta_. It was Spanish for "dead".

Nancy stopped struggling as they put a blindfold on her and drove off. Judging from the way the road felt, she guessed that they were on the same highway she took to arrive at the tournament. Which way were they going, though? Towards or away from Washington DC?

One of the bandits was talking in Spanish, presumably on a cellular phone. From the deferential tone of his voice, Nancy guessed he was speaking to his boss. There was a clicking sound and a small hum, and Nancy tried to focus on the words.

"Si, la tenemos. Aquí esta."

"Bueno...le trae—¿Eh? ¿Porque tienen una pelirroja?"

"Es...es Teresa."

"¡Teresa es rubia, idiota!"

"Ahhh!"

Nancy had no idea what they were saying, but the boss sounded upset. He started yelling in rapid Spanish, and Nancy recognized one or two of the insults. The car came to a sudden halt, then turned around.

_What is going on?_ Nancy wondered.

It seemed that the bandits were taking her back to the tennis match. Sure enough, the car soon pulled off the road and onto...dirt? A field? The car stopped, and Nancy was soon forced out of the car.

Something cold hit Nancy's bound hands. A knife? They were removing the rope around her wrists! Nancy struggled, and the bandit smashed her from behind. She landed face first on the cold ground.

Doors slammed, and the car drove away. Carefully, Nancy reached up and undid the blindfold. Sure enough, she was back at the college, lying in the middle of a field!

No one else was in sight. Nancy undid her gag, as well as the wires around her feet. The wires had cut into her skin, and her feet had started to swell. After stuffing them in her purse, she unsteadily got up and walked towards the tennis stadium and headed straight for her assigned seat.

Nancy's seat was in between Bess and George. George was looking at the scoreboard, while Bess was looking at the tennis watchers. Bess was the first to notice Nancy's presence. "Nancy's here!"

"Hey! Where were you? You missed—what _happened_ to you?"

Bess started rooting in her purse. "Your hair is a mess! I've got a brush in here somewhere..."

"We're going to see the senator. Now," Nancy said.

"But Teresa Montenegro is going to—" George fell silent, after a look from Nancy. "_Fine._ Let's go."

Nancy led her friends to Senator Kilpatrick's private booth. While Bess made eyes at the security guard, Nancy explained who they were. A half-minute later, they were let inside. The private booth contained a small buffet-style table and many empty chairs.

"Hello, Nancy," Senator Kilpatrick said, standing up to greet them. "It's nice to finally meet you."

"Hello," Nancy said. "These are my friends, Bess Marvin and George Fayne."

Senator Kilpatrick looked over them. "That's not a common name for a young woman," she commented.

"I know," George said, nodding. "But there's a story behind it. You see, _Bess_ is short for _Elizabeth_."

Bess playfully hit George on the arm. "She was talking about _your_ name, Georgia!"

The senator smiled and turned to Nancy. "You have good timing. Edward left for about an hour, so we shouldn't be interrupted. I presume you want to talk about the drop-off?"

"No, I wanted to tell you that I was just kidnapped by Spanish-speaking bandits," Nancy said.

The senator looked taken aback. Bess gasped, while George said, "What?"

Nancy reached into her purse and pulled out the wires, blindfold, gag and other materials used to abduct her. "Here's what they used to tie me up," she said, lifting up her leg and gesturing towards her swollen ankle, which still had a bit of blood on it. "They threw me in a black limo and drove off, until someone, I'm guessing their boss, started yelling at them. Then they returned me."

"Nancy, I'm...I'm sorry," the senator said. "I had no idea this could happen. I wouldn't have asked for your help, if I knew there was danger."

"I think we deserve an explanation now," Nancy said. "What is going on? Why was I kidnapped? Does it have to do with the drop-off?"

Senator Kilpatrick looked intently at Nancy, weighing her options. "I honestly do not know why you were kidnapped, Nancy," she said. "But if I had to guess, it is because of her."

The senator pointed towards the tennis court, where two players were stepping out. Nancy's eyes widened. One of the tennis players looked just like her!

* * *

**Author's Note:** In the book, Nancy is kidnapped, but she doesn't bother to tell anyone about it. I think it'd be more realistic for Nancy to demand an explanation after an ordeal like that.


	3. Chapter 3

"Oh my gosh! Teresa Montenegro looks like you, Nancy!" George gasped.

"You're kind of right," Bess said. She took a side glance at Nancy, then looked back at Teresa. "She's more blonde than you are, though."

There certainly was an uncanny resemblance between the two teenagers. "What does it mean?" Nancy asked.

"It means your father has some explaining to do," Bess said.

"Bess!" George said.

"That's not what I meant!" Nancy said. She turned again to Senator Marilyn Kilpatrick. "Are you saying the bandits wanted to kidnap Teresa, but they kidnapped me instead?"

"That's my guess," Senator Kilpatrick said. "If you were the intended victim, they wouldn't have let you go."

"But why would anyone want to kidnap Teresa Montenegro? She's just a tennis player!" George said.

"It's because of the drop-off," Nancy said. "You wanted me to intercept a package meant for Teresa, didn't you?"

Senator Kilpatrick shook her head. "I can't tell you anything," she said. "This is a matter of national security."

Bess looked unhappy about that, but Nancy was undaunted. She had faced down thieves, murderers and cheaters. Dealing with a United States Senator shouldn't be all that different.

"Fine, we'll figure it out ourselves," she said. "Let's see...the kidnappers spoke Spanish. I bet they're from San Carlos, just like Teresa."

"Everyone knows San Carlos is run by a dictator," Bess said, referring to Cidel Fastro, the violent communist ruler of Teresa's home country. "Didn't they mention him on the news last night?"

George thought for a moment. "Not really," she said. "All they said was that he was reluctant to let Teresa come here for the tournament. You think he changed his mind about letting her compete?"

"I doubt it," Nancy said. "If he wanted to get her back to San Carlos, he wouldn't send random bandits to abduct her. He'd send the police. Wouldn't he?"

"This could be a case of sabotage," George said. "You know, one of the tennis players wanted to get rid of Teresa, because she's the toughest opponent in the tournament."

"Maybe it's not about her at all," Bess said. "Like the time I was kidnapped at the Royal Palladium Theater, remember? They were just using me to get at you, Nan."

"This isn't the first time you've dealt with kidnappers?" Senator Kilpatrick asked, shocked.

"All three of us have been kidnapped, at one point or another," George said. "Detective work is dangerous business."

"I think Bess is onto something," Nancy said. "Maybe the kidnapping was an attempt to get at someone close to Teresa. Or _maybe_ it was a dissident political group, trying to send a message to the dictator!"

"Enough!" Senator Kilpatrick said. She ran a hand through her large black hair, frustrated. "I don't suppose there's any way I can convince you three to forget everything that happened today?"

"Not a chance," George said. Bess nodded in agreement.

"No offense, Senator, but I was abducted by bandits thirty minutes ago," Nancy said. "If we don't do something soon, Teresa could be next."

"You're more like your father than you know," Senator Kilpatrick said dryly. "Fine. I tell you what I can, on one condition: you never tell _anyone_ what I'm about to tell you. Do you understand me? If you talk, your lives could be in serious danger."

Nancy and her friends all promised to keep the information a secret.

"For the past few months, my committee has been meeting with various political groups in San Carlos," Senator Kilpatrick said. "One of our agents has intercepted...well, you don't need to know what it is exactly. Let's just say he got his hands on some _very_ important information. Information that I need to have as soon as possible."

"And that's why you scheduled the drop-off?"

"Yes," Senator Kilpatrick said. "During the drop-off, he was going to give you a single sheet of paper, with the information written on it. In code, obviously. We can't allow the information to get into the wrong hands."

George spoke up. "If this drop-off is so important, why hold it at a tennis tournament? Why not in your office at Washington D.C. or somewhere?"

"That would ruin Roberto's cover," Senator Kilpatrick said. "The only way we could get him to America was by having him pose as Teresa's trainer. Doing the drop-off here was the safest choice."

"So maybe someone found out that this Roberto guy is a secret agent!" Bess said.

"Or it's a coincidence, and Teresa is the real target," George said. "Are you _sure_ you don't remember anything of what they said, Nancy?"

"Sorry," Nancy said. "I don't know any Spanish. I recognized _banditos_, _muerta_ and..._iditota_, but that's about it. I remember what the men looked like, though."

Nancy gave a description of her three kidnappers, along with the car they drove.

"Thank you, Nancy," Senator Kilpatrick said. "If you remember anything else—anything at all—please let know immediately."

"I will," Nancy promised. "So what next?"

"Nothing," Senator Kilpatrick said. "You girls are going to forget everything and enjoy the tournament. It's too dangerous for private citizens like you to be involved."

The meeting soon ended after that. Kilpatrick thanked the three teenagers for their help, then ushered them out of the booth. Nancy noticed that Bess left with a plateful of food, which she made for herself during the conversation.

"Are you going to drop this case?" George asked Nancy, as the girls went back to their assigned seats.

"Not a chance," she said.

"Just checking."

* * *

**Author's Note:** This chapter is entirely new material.


	4. Chapter 4

"Not to be a downer, but I don't see much for us to do," Bess said. "I mean, what options do we have? Sneak into the drop-off anyway?"

"At the very least, we should warn Teresa and Roberto that their lives are in danger," Nancy said.

"Yeah, but how can we do that? It's not like you can walk onto the court and talk to her," George said.

"But we can try to grab her, after her set is over," Nancy said. She was fairly confident that they could get past the security at the courts. Security couldn't be _that_ good, if no one noticed an abduction taking place near the area.

After the match ended, Nancy and her friends searched for Teresa. George saw her going through the parking lot, with an older woman, a dark-haired man and what looked like a guard.

"Who are the people with her?" Bess asked.

"Hopefully, the guy is Roberto," Nancy said.

Teresa and the others were a few rows away. A group of girls—most likely tennis fans—tried to stop Teresa and ask for autographs. The guard brushed them aside, as Teresa and the young man ran towards the next lot.

"Split up!" Nancy said. "George, you stick with Teresa! Bess, you stay with the others!"

The girls went their separate ways, while Nancy ran in a different direction, to get the car. It was obvious that Teresa was planning to drive away from the college. Nancy got her car and drove back to the parking lots, but it took over a minute to get there. She immediately found Bess, who was waving.

"It's too late," Bess said. "They got in a car and left. I'm sorry."

"It's okay," Nancy said, stopping the car to let Bess inside. "They're not the ones we're interested in. Where's George?"

"I dunno," Bess said. "Last I saw, she was over there."

Nancy drove to the parking lot that Bess indicated. George was waiting for them at the entrance.

"Are they here?" Nancy asked.

"Yep," George said. "Looks like Teresa and Roberto are more than just trainer and student."

"What do you mean?"

"They started kissing in the parking lot," George said. "Lucky thing for us, too. That gives us plenty of time to—hey!"

A blue car zoomed through the entrance, coming within a few feet of hitting George. George turned to yell at them, and her face became upset.

"Oh no, that's their car! Quick, follow them!" George said.

Nancy did a three point turn, and George got into the car. She followed after Teresa's car, which was barreling along the side road at a high speed. As soon as they hit the main road, they immediately ran into traffic.

"Yes!" Bess said. "They're not getting away _that_ easily!"

Nancy followed the other car, as it went onto the highway leading towards Alexandria and Washington D.C. The inbound traffic was slow, which made it relatively simple for Nancy to stay one to two cars behind the others.

They passed by Crystal City and the National Airport. They turned off at Washington Boulevard, and to Nancy's great shock, Teresa's car stopped off at the Sheraton Arlington Hotel.

"They're staying at the same hotel we are?" Nancy asked.

"Weird! It must be part of your magic twin powers!" Bess said.

"More like this is one of the places sponsoring the tournament," George said. She gestured to a large banner, publicizing the tennis tournament, which was over the parking lot. "That's why I booked us here. We got a wicked discount."

"Nice," Nancy said, as she pulled into the parking lot. Their luck ran out, by the time they entered the hotel. Teresa and the young man disappeared into an elevator ahead of them.

"Should we check the hotel register?" George asked.

"No, wait," Nancy said, pointing to the elevator lights. If the lights were correct, the elevator stopped at the third level. "They're stopping at our floor."

"Teresa's on the same floor as us? Unbelievable!" Bess said. She shot a look at her cousin. "_Now _do you believe in magic twin powers?"

"Just come on!" George said, leading Bess to the stairs. The girls went up to their floor, but it was too late. The entire floor was deserted, and there was no clue as to where Teresa and her companion had gone.

The girls went back to the lobby, where Bess pretended that she wanted to get an extra room for a friend who was going to arrive the next day.

"Any luck?" Nancy asked when Bess returned.

"Nope," Bess said. "They've only got one empty room on Floor 3 this week. Does this mean we'll be stuck checking every single room on the floor until we find the right one?"

"Unless you've got a better idea," George said.

"I do," Bess said. "Instead of embarrassing ourselves, let's just camp out in the hallway and wait for them to leave the room."

"But that could take hours!" George said.

"Wait, that's it!" Nancy said. "The drop-off is at five, remember? If that guy is Roberto, and if he's still planning on making the drop-off, then he'll leave in about an hour or so."

"That's a lot of _ifs_," George said. "But that's a good plan. We can wait an hour, before checking the rooms."

"In that case, I'm changing out of these clothes," Bess said. "These are _not_ running shoes."

The girls returned to their room. Nancy stopped in the doorway and opened her mouth to make a suggestion, when she heard a yell from the hallway, followed by two gunshots.

* * *

**Author's Note:** This chapter mostly follows the book, except I included Bess and George. It's more fun to have them help than to have Nancy do everything by herself.


	5. Chapter 5

Nancy and her friends burst out into the hallway, where she saw a struggle by the elevator. It looked like three people shoving someone inside.

"Call security!" Nancy ordered Bess, as she ran to the elevator. The doors shut before she could get there, and the lights indicated that the group was going to the lowest level.

An elderly woman was leaning against the wall, shaking madly. Nancy turned to her. "Did you see what just happened?"

"Oh my! I...oh my!" the woman said, moaning in fright.

Several doors opened, as people started peeking out of their rooms. "Is everything okay?" asked a man with a mustache.

Nancy scanned the doorways, and she was relieved to see Teresa Montenegro looking out of room 312. "This woman needs some water," Nancy said. She pointed directly at Teresa. "Could you get some for us? Please?"

By the time the guard arrived, almost everyone had gone back to their rooms. The burly man produced his badge. "Security. What's going on?"

Nancy identified herself and her friends. "We heard shots, and I saw someone being abducted by the elevator."

"Abducted?"

"It looked like they were taking someone inside," Nancy said.

The white-haired woman spoke up. "I—I saw t-the whole thing," she said shakily. "It was—oh, dear!"

Teresa arrived with water, which they gave to the woman. That seemed to calm her down a bit. "These young people are right. It—it was a kidnapping," she said. "I was taking a nap before dinner, when I heard pushing and shoving coming from the hall outside. Then somebody screamed. I suppose I shouldn't have, but I—I opened the door a crack. I was afraid it was children playing, you know, and that one of them was hurt. So I looked out—"

Mrs. Sherman swallowed hard. "That's when the shots came. And I saw three men—no, four. One of them had the gun. He was pointing it at a nice young man while the two others were shoving him into the elevator." She spread her hands. "I would have helped him if I could! But it was happening so fast—they fell into the elevator, and the door slammed, and then I—I started having a dizzy spell."

The security guard began speaking into his walkie-talkie, calling for the police, then asked for a description of the men. Nancy was not surprised to hear that they perfectly matched the bandits who had kidnapped her earlier.

"And the victim?" the guard prompted.

"He was such a nice young man! One of the tennis players, I think. At least, he wore whites and some kind of badge. Beautiful dark wavy hair." The woman pointed at Teresa. "I've seen him before, with you."

"He is...he is Roberto Rodriguez," she said. "My new, I mean, my boyfriend." Her eyes filled with tears. "He has been taken? This..."

Teresa began babbling in Spanish, and it was not long afterwards that the police arrived. Things became much busier after that, as the officers took statements from Nancy, Teresa, and Mrs. Sherman.

Out of the side of her eye, Nancy saw Teresa talking to the man and woman who she left the tennis match with. Nancy gathered that they were her chaperons. One of the officers went inside Teresa's room with the female chaperon. Teresa headed in the other direction.

Nancy grabbed George's arm. "Let's follow her," she said, nodding her head towards Teresa.

George cast a glance at Bess, who was telling an officer about calling for security, before leaving with Nancy. Teresa quickly headed downstairs and glanced around furtively before going out to the parking lot. She immediately broke into a run.

"Head for the car," Nancy told George, in case they needed to drive after her.

Nancy ran after Teresa, and a car engine roared to life nearby. Before you could say the word "trap", the car drove straight for Teresa. Instead of running away, Teresa stood still near the exit and screamed.

Nancy put on extra speed and jumped towards Teresa. She reached the girl from San Carlos seconds before the car did, and they rolled out of the way as the car went past them.

_"Nancy!"_ George shouted.

"We're okay!" Nancy called back. She started to push herself off of the ground, when Teresa shouted loudly. Looking behind her, Nancy saw the car turn around and reposition itself, so it could run them over.

_And the two girls were lying helpless on the ground!_

Nancy tried to push herself up and run away, but she tripped over Teresa, who seemed to be paralyzed with fear. The car was getting closer and closer.

"AAAAAA!" a voice screamed.

Nancy's jaw dropped, when she saw what was happening. George Fayne did a running jump onto a parked car, and from there, she jumped onto the large banner advertising the tennis tournament. George then swung on the banner, towards the sedan. She smashed her feet against the driver's door.

The driver screamed and swerved crazily to the left, where he bounced off the front fender of a sports car. He quickly reversed and headed to the exit, forgetting about the girls.

Nancy couldn't believe it. "George," she said slowly. "Did you just get rid of the bad guys by swinging into their car?"

"Just call me 'George of the Jungle'," George said. She winced and grabbed her feet. "Ow, OW that's painful! How are you?"

"A little rattled, but I'm uninjured," Nancy said. "How are you, Teresa?"

Teresa sat up slowly and rubbed a large bruise on her chin. "I am...okay. You...you are the girl from the hallway, yes? Why do you look like me?"

"I wish I knew," Nancy said. "Come on, let's get back inside before someone else tries to kill us."

* * *

**Author's Note:** One problem with the book is that Nancy and her friends don't really talk to Teresa, until about halfway through. Maybe it's just me, but I would have introduced myself to my twin sister _before _the third attempt on her life.


	6. Chapter 6

Nancy and George talked with Teresa, as they went back to the hotel. Judging from what she said, Teresa had no idea that Roberto was a secret agent, scheduled to make a drop-off that night.

"We have dated not for long, but I love him," Teresa said. "I need to find him and know he is safe!"

"Don't worry," Nancy said. "I'm a detective. I can help you, but you need to promise not to do anything dangerous like run off on your own!"

"You do not understand, Gemela," Teresa said. "I found this on the floor after Roberto was taken."

Teresa pulled a small piece of paper out of her pocket. An address was scribbled on it, along with _tell no one_ written in Spanish.

"Is this Roberto's handwriting?" Nancy asked.

"No. I do not recognize it. But this must be where they took him!"

Nancy and George glanced at each other. George mouthed the word "trap", and Nancy nodded.

"San Carlos es muy peligroso_—_very dangerous. The dictator is harsh, and when someone is taken, nobody sees them again," Teresa said. She burst into tears. "I wish Roberto is safe!"

"American police are very good," Nancy said. "They will find him soon, I promise."

_And if they don't, I will..._ she thought to herself.

* * *

Nancy and George took Teresa back to the hotel, and afterwards they rejoined Bess. The three girls discussed the case and went out for dinner. Afterwards, George and Bess checked the maps and phone books. It took them a while before they could confirm Teresa had been given a false address.

Nancy tried calling Senator Kilpatrick, in order to give her an update on the situation, but the senator was not at her office. Presumably, she was still at the tournament, waiting for the drop-off that wouldn't take place. Nancy left a message, saying to call her immediately.

That could have been the end of Nancy's little adventure in the country's capital, but things took an unexpected turn when Nancy received a frightened visitor later that night.

It was Teresa.

"Gemela, I need your help!" she said. "It is horrible!"

"Teresa? What's the matter?" Nancy asked, as she let Teresa inside the room.

"I got a phone call about Roberto! I think it is from the kidnappers!"

Nancy instinctively took a step backwards. "They called you? What did they say?"

"They say, if I bring the list, they will let Roberto go!" Teresa said. She grabbed Nancy's shirt. "But I do not know what list! Please help!"

"Calm down," Nancy said, leading Teresa to a chair. "Here, sit. Tell us exactly what happened."

"I was in my room, and I got a phone call. In Spanish. The man, he says they have Roberto, and they will trade him for the list. What list? I tell the bads that I do not know of list, but they call me a liar. Then they give me an address to me."

Teresa recited the address. "The man says if I do not arrive at 1:00 tomorrow, they will kill Roberto. Then, they will kill me." Teresa gulped. "I told him I have tennis tomorrow, but again, he calls me a liar and stops the phone call. What can I do? I think it is una trampa, but I can do nothing!"

"What's a trampa?" Nancy asked.

"I think that means 'trap'," Bess said.

"It sounds fishy," George agreed. "You shouldn't go."

"But they will kill Roberto!" Teresa said. "I must go, but I cannot. It is too dangerous. You are a detective with the police, yes? What should I do?"

"Well, it sounds like the important thing here is Roberto's list," Bess said. "Do you know where he kept one?"

Teresa shook her head. "No. I have seen his suitcase. There is nothing in there."

"Check again. It could be a small piece of paper, that he hid somewhere inside the room. Like, behind a painting or something."

"The police looked through my room, because of the kidnapping. They did not find any clues, but I can look again."

Nancy was silent for a moment, thinking about the situation. "I'll go," she said.

"What?"

"I'll go to the meeting tomorrow," Nancy said. "I can disguise myself as Teresa and meet with the bandits, while she competes in the tournament like normal."

"Yes!" Teresa said. "There will be two Teresas! Me and my gemela!"

"Gemela?"

"In English, it is...trin?"

"Twin," George corrected. "And Nancy, I know you have a knack for making dangerous situations even _more_ dangerous, but this is ridiculous. Are you seriously going to pose as Teresa, in order to meet with some bandits who already—you know, already kidnapped someone?"

"Senator Kilpatrick will provide a police guard for me," Nancy said. "Together, we can capture the bandits. If I wear a bulletproof vest, I should be safe."

"You want to go along with the trap, in order to catch the bandits?" George asked.

"It's our best chance for saving Roberto."

"There's just one problem with that plan," Bess said.

"What?"

"You don't speak Spanish."

"Oh," Nancy said softly. Bess was right, of course. Even though Nancy had some experience in dealing with dangerous criminals, she couldn't possibly have a meeting with the bandits from San Carlos.

"It is still a good plan," Teresa said. "You can be my alibi. I need one."

"Alibi?" Nancy asked.

"Yes. I will be Nancy Drew, with the police, trapping the bandits. You will be Teresa Montenegro, playing at the tournament."

"You want me to play tennis?" Nancy asked. "That's impossible. I'm not even close to being a professional!"

"You don't have to be," George said. "Not really. Tomorrow are the doubles matches. You can let your partner do most of the work."

"And people will expect Teresa to be a little off her game, because her boyfriend was abducted," Bess added. "So if you play badly, no one will really notice!"

Nancy stared dully at her two friends. "You're serious about this," she said. "You honestly expect me to play professional-level tennis without any preparation?"

"Hey, you were serious about meeting with kidnappers," Bess pointed out. "So if this is a competition to see who can come up with the worst plan ever, you started it."

"I can help teach you to play," Teresa said. "There is a practice court nearby."

Nancy sighed. "How much time will this take?" she asked.

* * *

**Author's Note: **This is probably the biggest improvement I could think of, for this book. The twin swap was the best part of the book, but it lost its effectiveness, because it is introduced far too late into the story. Moving it up six chapters is a good idea.

Also, you'll notice I came up with a reason _why_ Nancy can't be the person who meets with the kidnappers. The book doesn't bother to do so; it just assumes that having Nancy-twin play tennis while Teresa-twin meets kidnappers is a better, more logical scenario than Teresa-twin playing tennis while Nancy-twin meets kidnappers._  
_


	7. Chapter 7

The next morning was incredibly frantic. George, Nancy and Teresa all went to the tennis court for two hours of practice. Bess, predictably, chose not to tag along for the athletic portion of the preparation.

Nancy was moderately good at tennis, so she was able to pick up on some of the elements which contributed to Teresa's unique style. With everything else, Nancy had no idea what she was doing; she just followed the orders she was given. George acted as a coach, and she helped make sure that Nancy was correctly imitating Teresa's moves.

"I guess that's about as good as we can hope for," George said, when the two hours were up. "Too bad we don't have a couple of weeks to practice this."

"Too bad Teresa isn't _your_ foreign twin," Nancy said, rubbing her legs. "I don't have the stamina for this sport."

"Look, the worst thing that could happen is that you play so badly, Teresa gets kicked out of the tournament."

"Please do not do that," Teresa said.

"I'll try my best," Nancy said. "But if we get close to losing, I'm switching back to my normal style. Concentrating on the game _and_ your moves is giving me a headache."

The three girls went back to the hotel room, where Senator Kilpatrick was waiting for them. Bess was snuggled up to the senator's attractive bodyguard, but she detached herself and pulled out all the necessary hair and makeup paraphernalia. "Time to make you two into identical twins!" she said happily.

The first step was bronzing Nancy's skin, so her tan matched Teresa's. Bess trimmed Nancy's hair in certain spots, using Teresa as a live model, before applying some hair coloring. While Bess worked her magic, Nancy talked with the senator.

"You'll be happy to know that we've already sent the police to scout the area," Senator Kilpatrick said. "Two of them are on stakeout, as we speak. With any luck, we'll get the bandits before the meeting with Teresa even starts."

"That's good," Nancy said. "What time is the meeting again?"

"At the one," Teresa said.

"And the tennis match is at 1:30," Nancy said. "Maybe you'll get back in time, and I won't have to play as you."

Bess seemed indignant at that suggestion. "What? Nuh uh. No _way _you two are going to call off the switch. Not after all my hard work here. Do you know how hard it is to get your cheekbones to match?"

"You have done an impressive job," Senator Kilpatrick said. "Maybe I could use you as a stylist."

Bess beamed, then slapped Nancy's hand away as she reached for the mirror. "No looking at yourself until it's done," she reprimanded.

"Ow! My wrists are sore right now, Bess!" Nancy complained.

"Hey, I just thought of something," George said. "What happened to Teresa's chaperones?"

"They're in questioning right now," Senator Kilpatrick said. "I don't think they're involved in this mess, but maybe one of them knows where Roberto hid the list. None of my people can find it in his room."

"You searched our room?" Teresa asked.

"Five times," Senator Kilpatrick said. "Your room, your car, _and_ the locker room at the tournament. We can't find the list anywhere!"

"At least the bad guys don't have it," Bess said.

"That's true," Senator Kilpatrick said. "But if this goes on much longer, I'll have to tell President Reagan. This has the potential to become an international incident."

"Why?" Nancy asked. "Earlier, you said you couldn't tell us about the list, but can you tell us now? Why is it so important?"

Senator Kilpatrick sighed. "I suppose you've earned the right to know. It's a...well, the common term for it would be 'hit list'. It's a list of six Americans that the San Carlos dictator is planning to kill."

"He's trying to kill Americans?" Nancy gasped.

"I've already contacted the Americans I know who are secretly helping the San Carlos revolution movement," the senator said. "They're on their guard, but until we get official confirmation of who the targets are, we can't take them into protective custody."

"Oh, wow," George said. "I knew San Carlos was run by a communist, but I never expected this to be part of the Cold War."

"This is all confidential information, by the way," Senator Kilpatrick said. "If you breathe a word of this to the press, I'll deny it."

"Like the press is going to believe Nancy stopped a war by switching places with her tennis-playing twin," Bess said. "Annnnnd...done! You can look in the mirror now!"

Nancy was shocked when she looked in the mirror. Somehow, Bess managed to lift up Nancy's cheekbones and darken her eyes, turning her into a near-perfect duplicate of Teresa. Nancy looked back and forth between her reflection and Teresa.

"Perfecto!" Teresa said. "Now we need almuerzo!"

"Is that some kind of Spanish clothing?" Nancy asked.

"It means _lunch_," Senator Kilpatrick said. "And that's a good idea. I'll have something sent up to the room."

* * *

Nancy would not learn about the specifics until later, but the meeting with the bandits went almost perfectly. The American agents worked swiftly, and they successfully captured two of the bandits without any shots fired.

Senator Kilpatrick questioned one of the bandits. "Where is Roberto?" she demanded.

"He is dead! Our leader has ordered us to kill all traitors!"

"I knew it. You work for the dictator!" she said.

"Ha ha ha! No, you stupid America! We work for El Morro!"

"The assassin?"

"Yes! He will come to our aid and kill you all!"

Senator Kilpatrick turned to her bodyguard and switched to English. "Get a message to Nancy, right away. She needs to get out of that disguise immediately!"

"Why?"

"El Morro has ordered a hit on Teresa Montenegro."

Roberto turned white. "El Morro! But if _he's_ involved, there won't be enough time to—"

"You've got to try!" the senator shouted.

* * *

**Author's Note:** In the book, Nancy and her friends don't tell Senator Kilpatrick or the police about the meeting. That is because they are idiots. Seriously, if the first attempt to meet with Teresa was a trap, why do Nancy and her friends assume the second meeting is legit?

Also, I liked writing a short scene without Nancy Drew in it. I'm surprised that doesn't happen more often in the books. Interesting things can happen when she's not there, you know!


	8. Chapter 8

The desperate phone call to the tennis tournament arrived too late. Nancy was already changed and leaving the locker room, when George rushed over to tell her the bad news.

"Are you trying to say someone is going to kill me?" Nancy asked.

"I didn't get any details," George said. "They said security is on the way to escort you out, when you're done with the match."

"And what if someone tries to shoot me during the match?"

"Look, I don't know what's going on. They just said that there's been a serious threat against Teresa's life, and since you're posing as Teresa right now..."

"Great," Nancy said. "Like this game isn't going to be tough enough as it is."

George put a consoling hand on Nancy's shoulder. "You'll do fine. Just remember everything you learned this morning."

George wished Nancy good luck, before leaving. Nancy then joined up with her partner, a Canadian woman. Everyone in the stands applauded as they stepped on the court, and Nancy felt a twinge of stage fright at performing in front of so many people.

The other team served first. Nancy's partner returned the initial serve well, and on Nancy's first shot, she tried one of Teresa's standard backhands. She missed the ball completely.

"Fifteen-love," called the referee.

Nancy smiled apologetically at her partner. The Canadian woman seemed unamused.

That set the general tone for the game. Whenever Nancy focused on playing like Teresa, she moved more slowly, which had a negative impact on the game. Whenever Nancy focused on winning the game, she would inevitably end up performing moves in her own style, instead of Teresa's. A casual observer like Bess wouldn't have been able to tell the difference, but considering that the audience was mostly made up of tennis experts, it was a serious problem.

Nancy caught her partner looking at her strangely, but she didn't say anything. She just turned around and refocused on the game.

Towards the end of the first game, Nancy became more comfortable with playing doubles tennis—her practice with Teresa had been one-on-one tennis—and her play notably improved. The turnaround happened too late, though, and they lost the first match.

Shortly after the start of the second game, a gleam of light from the stands hit Nancy's eyes. She missed a high volley, forcing her partner to run in and save the shot.

_What was that?_ Nancy wondered.

Four shots later, she was again distracted by a flash of light from the stands. It threw her off balance, and she tripped towards the net. The crowd groaned, as the other team received a point.

While this happened, Nancy got down on one knee and pretended to retie her shoe. In reality, she was taking a moment to look at the stands. Where was that light coming from? Was someone purposely trying to make her lose? More importantly, what was causing the light? A mirror? Flashes from a camera?

_Or was it the telescopic sight of a sniper's rifle?_ Nancy wondered, as she caught sight of a familiar face in the stands. It was one of the bandits who had taken Roberto, and he was in the same area that the light was coming from. Somehow, Nancy knew it was not a coincidence.

_If he tries to shoot me, there's no possible way for me to avoid it,_ Nancy thought. _I'm standing out here in the open, a perfect target for any would-be shooters. Unless..._

Realizing what she had to do, Nancy stood up and took several steps backwards. She nodded at the server on the other team. The next time the ball came near Nancy, she darted forwards and smashed it into the stands. The tennis ball went flying towards the spectators and hit the bandit in the face.

_Yes!_ Nancy said, clenching her fist triumphantly.

The crowd gasped and broke into confused, worried tones. To them, it seemed like Teresa Montenegro was celebrating a successful attack on a random spectator.

Nancy chuckled nervously. Her partner walked up to her, and, in a low voice, hissed, "What are you doing?".

"Um...my mistake," Nancy said, in her best attempt at a San Carlos accent. "It will not happen again."

And it did not happen again. As the game continued, the shining light failed to return. Glad that she had stopped her would-be assassin, Nancy put all her energy into winning the tennis match. Nancy and her partner won the second set by a mere two points, and they won the third set by a wider margin, to give them the overall victory.

Nancy and her partner shook hands and left the court together. "Good game," her partner said. "For a few minutes there, I thought we were close to losing, but we got the win! Ha ha!"

"You have no idea how close it was," Nancy muttered.

* * *

**Author's Note: **In the book, El Morro is the one who tries to kill Nancy in this chapter. I changed it to one of the bandits, because El Morro has no motive for killing Teresa. Besides, the bandits have attacked Teresa multiple times at this point. It makes more sense if they are responsible for the final attack on her.


	9. Chapter 9

Security was there, to escort Nancy from the off-court area to the locker room. Bess and George were waiting for Nancy there, thanks to the off-limits passes that Senator Kilpatrick had given them.

"You did great, Teresa!" George said.

"Why did you try to kill someone in the crowd?" Bess asked.

"Bess, I told you, that was a wild shot!" George said. "It _was_ an accident, wasn't it?"

Nancy frowned. "Didn't anyone see the person I hit?" she asked.

"Yeah, they took her to a first aid tent," Bess said. "What do you have against elderly women, anyway?"

"What? No! I was aiming for—" Nancy leaned closer to her friends and spoke low, so no one would overheard. "One of the bandits who kidnapped Roberto. He was in the stands, and he flashed light in my eyes!"

"Oh no!" Bess said.

"He was...trying to ruin your tennis game?" George asked, confused.

"I think he was trying to shoot me," Nancy said. "But if he's still out there—"

"GET DOWN!" shouted one of the security guards. He tackled Nancy, seconds before a bullet whizzed overhead.

Nancy looked up, and she saw the other security guard running in the direction of the shooter. It was the bandit! He dodged the guard and ran straight towards Nancy and her friends.

Nancy's security guard pulled her backwards and stood in front of her, while Bess and George ran in different directions. The bandit cast a glance at Nancy, then apparently changed his mind. He turned and ran after George.

"No!" Nancy cried. _He must have seen me talking to George earlier!_

George went for the safety of the largest crowd she could find. She ran up the rows of bleachers, and the bandit gave chase. He fired a shot at George, but he missed.

Suddenly, several security guards were running towards him, but they were too far away. Nancy tried to join the chase, but her security guard held her back.

George reached the top of the bleachers and looked behind her. The bandit tried to shoot her, while she was momentarily standing still, but George immediately dodged and ran for the exit stairs. By the time she reached the announcer's booth, the bandit was on the top row of the bleachers.

George and her pursuer ran through the announcer's booth—_Why doesn't one of the announcers help?_ Nancy wondered—and out the other side. George made a move towards the small ladder on the side of the electric scoreboard, and the bandit took another shot at her.

This shot hit its mark. George staggered and fell over the back of the bleachers. Nancy couldn't see George anywhere, after that. The bandit fired his gun into the air twice, then ran for the exit stairs that George had been aiming for.

The next fifteen minutes were a blur for Nancy. She could barely remember going to the locker room and changing back into her normal clothes. Security led Nancy to her limousine, and the guards tensed up when they heard shouting.

"No!" Nancy said.

"George, you are a complete idiot!" a familiar voice shouted.

"Bess?" Nancy asked.

Nancy stepped forward. Bess and George were waiting for Nancy at the limousine. George waved half-heartedly at her. "Hey, Nan. Ready to go back to the hotel?"

_"How are you not dead?"_ Nancy asked.

"I grabbed onto a support beam on the other side of the bleachers," George said. "Duh."

"But you were shot!"

"Haven't you ever faked your own death before?" George asked. "I didn't _really_ get shot. I just pretended."

"George, you are a complete idiot!" Nancy shouted, echoing Bess' earlier scream. She halted a second, in order to give George a hug. "Don't scare me like that again!"

George grinned. "Come on, I'll tell you the story in the car."

* * *

George's story was less impressive than Nancy would have expected. There was a thick netting below the scoreboard, and George purposely fell into it.

"But I'm telling everyone that I grabbed a support beam, after falling," George said. "It sounds so much cooler that way."

"Yes, because when you're almost killed, the important thing is how cool you look," Bess said sarcastically.

"Hey, it worked," George said. "And the tournament security got the bandit, so we're in the clear now! Mystery solved, right?"

"Maybe," Nancy said. "We'll see what the situation is like, when we return."

Teresa wasn't there, when they got back to the hotel. Neither was Senator Kilpatrick. A little off-put by this, the girls went back to their room and waited for an update. After a full hour of nothing, Nancy decided she might as well use the time to remove her Teresa disguise.

Bess helped Nancy with the work. They had been at it for a minute, when George knocked on the bathroom door. "Bad news, Nancy. You've got a phone call."

"Just a second, I've almost got the bronze off her left cheek," Bess said.

"What's the bad news?" Nancy asked. "Did something happen to Teresa?"

"No."

"The bandits managed to get away?"

"No, that's not it," George said.

"Then what's wrong?" Bess asked.

"It's your dad, Nancy. He found out about what happened at the tournament, and he is _angry_."

* * *

**Author's Note:** The book has "George falls off the scoreboard" as an end-of-chapter cliffhanger. I think an angry Carson Drew makes for a better cliffhanger.


	10. Chapter 10

Nancy's father, Carson Drew, was furious. He insisted on coming to Washington D.C. himself, to take control of things.

"When Marilyn told me that she wanted you to pick something up for her, I thought it would be fine," Carson said. "I didn't know it would turn into international espionage!"

"Dad, we're perfectly okay," Nancy said. "There's no reason for you to come here."

"Oh, yes, there is. I'm going to give Marilyn a piece of my mind. What kind of senator _does_ something like this to innocent civilians?"

"The bad guys are all captured, and Teresa is safe. There's nothing wrong," Nancy insisted.

"Nice try," Carson said. "I saw the video of George on the news. I wouldn't be surprised if the whole town ended up seeing it."

George winced. "That is either bad news, or really, really good news," she said.

"Bad news," Bess said. "You'll never get a date in River Heights again."

"The tournament only goes on for two more days," Nancy said. "We'll be back home, safe and sound, before you know it."

"I'm sorry, but nothing's going to change my mind," Carson said. "I'm going straight to O'Hare Airport after this, and I'll be on the next flight out."

_Great. Just what I need_, Nancy thought. _A deadline._

* * *

Senator Kilpatrick appeared with Teresa Montenegro later that night. Teresa squealed and hugged Nancy, saying how proud she was of her twin for winning the tennis match. Senator Kilpatrick, on the other hand, looked rather harangued until she was assured that George was uninjured.

"I'm sorry I didn't come by sooner," the senator from Illinois said. "It's just that we've been busy with the bandits."

"They've all been arrested?" Nancy asked.

"Yes. We've questioned all three of them, but it turns out they're a bunch of incompetents who barely know anything," Senator Kilpatrick said dismissively. She shook her head, obviously frustrated that hours of questioning the criminals had turned up nothing. "They said that they were working for El Morro, but I hope to God that was a lie."

"El Morro?" Bess asked.

"He's a professional hitman," Senator Kilpatrick said. "He has a reputation for being impossible to trace. My guess is that the San Carlos dictator hired him to kill everyone on Roberto's list. _And the list is still missing!_"

Senator Kilpatrick put her head in her hands, growling in frustration. "We've searched his room ten times! I have no idea where it could be hidden!"

"Maybe we could help look for it," Nancy offered. "A fresh set of eyes could be just what you need!"

"Yeah, we're experts at finding things!" Bess said.

"I doubt that the FBI agents will let four teenagers enter the crime scene," Senator Kilpatrick said. "Anyway, the main reason we're here is so you girls can pack your things up."

"Pack our things up?" George asked.

"Yes. You're leaving this hotel and going into protective custody, effective immediately."

Nancy and her friends began protesting, but to no avail.

"I'm sorry, but there have been multiple attacks on Teresa, and, by extension, you. It's better to be safe than sorry, especially if El Morro is involved." Senator Kilpatrick paused for a moment. "And besides, your father insisted."

"I don't believe it!" Nancy said.

"It's true," Senator Kilpatrick said. "I'm having lunch with him tomorrow, after a budget meeting. It's...not going to be a fun day. Now hurry up and pack your things. I'd like to make it to the safe house before seven."

Nancy clenched her fists. "But you _have_ to let us continue investigating the case," she said. "You owe it to us!"

"Yeah, I almost got killed today!" George said.

"You can't just drop us off at a safe house and go home!" Bess said.

"¡No es justo!" Teresa said.

"My hands are tied," Senator Kilpatrick said. "Don't worry. It'll just be for a couple of days, and Teresa will still be allowed to compete in the tennis tournament."

Nancy and her friends kept arguing, but Senator Kilpatrick was used to arguing, after all the time she spent in Congress. She overrode everything the girls said, and in the end, they were left with no choice. They reluctantly packed all of their belongings into their suitcases and left the room.

After this, the group went to Teresa's room. Teresa went to get her things, while Nancy tried to convince the agents to let her investigate. Nancy believed she was making progress, when there was some arguing from inside the room.

Teresa walked to the door, looking upset. "Senator, you have to help me!" she pleaded.

"What's the issue?" Senator Kilpatrick asked, wearily.

"They won't let me bring my postcard!" Teresa said. "It was my last gift from Roberto!"

"We haven't finished examining it yet," the agent said.

"Let me look at it," Senator Kilpatrick said. She took the postcard, which had a picture of the Lincoln Memorial on it. "Huh. Where did you get this?"

"The airport," Teresa said. "It was before we rented the car."

"The airport, of course!" Senator Kilpatrick said.

"Huh?" Bess asked.

"We searched Roberto's room, car, and the tennis tournament grounds," Senator Kilpatrick said. "But what if Roberto hid the list at the airport? It's the only place he went to that we haven't checked!"

"Impossible," the FBI agent said. "No one could hide a list at the airport. Security at IAD is too tight. Especially for visitors from communist countries."

"It's worth a shot," Senator Kilpatrick said. She pursed her lips, thinking. "Teresa, you were with him, so you'd better come along and show us _exactly_ where he went."

"Okay," Teresa said.

"And girls?" Senator Kilpatrick asked.

"Yes?" Nancy asked.

"Looks like you'll help investigate after all," Senator Kilpatrick said. "Let's go."

* * *

**Author's Note:** In the book, Nancy and her friends go to the airport twice, in separate chapters. I decided to combine these two investigations into one.

Also, I'm giving larger roles to Teresa and Senator Kilpatrick. They are absent for the majority of the book.


	11. Chapter 11

The air in the car was tense as they drove away from the hotel. Bess tried to flirt with Dan, Senator Kilpatrick's bodyguard, but he brushed her aside and said he had to focus on driving. Bess half-pouted, then gasped.

"What is it?" Nancy asked.

"I think someone is following us!" Bess said.

Nancy turned around and looked. Another car was right behind them, dangerously close. It looked like the other car was trying to run them over!

"Not for long," Dan replied grimly. He slowed down as much as he could, as they approached a traffic light. When the light changed red, Dan quickly hit the gas and shot across the intersection. The car behind them followed, and it was hit by a sports car that had jumped the signal in the other direction. Traffic immediately came to a stop.

Dan turned on the car radio and informed the police about the accident. "Don't try a maneuver like that unless you're a cop," he advised.

It would later be revealed that the other driver was completely unrelated to Nancy's case. He was just a man who was late for an appointment, and who wanted to speed through traffic. Sadly, he picked the wrong car to tailgate.

The group arrived at the airport, where security was waiting to help them. The security officers spoke with the senator, while Teresa led Nancy, Bess, George and Dan to the souvenir stand where Roberto bought the bookmark.

"Okay, you need to lead us through exactly what happened," Nancy said.

"It was after we came through the tunnel," Teresa said, referring to the off-limits area that was part of customs. "We carried our luggage over here, and my guardian noticed that poster."

Teresa pointed out a poster on the wall, advertising the tennis tournament. It was similar to the banner George had swung on, earlier. Various athletes were pictured on it.

"He said, _esto es_—that is, he said, it is sad my picture is not on the poster," Teresa said. "I made a joke about being an American celebrity, and he said we must celebrate. So he bought me the postcard, to remember America by."

Teresa pointed to the souvenir stand with postcards, not far away. Dan asked questions about the stand, but Nancy stopped in front of the poster. She looked at it closely.

"Did Roberto touch this?" she asked.

"No. Yes! The letters. He touched the letters and smiled. I do not know—"

Nancy ran her hand along the letters, and her finger touched something. The dot on the letter "i" in "tennis" stuck out very slightly. Nancy picked at it, and it peeled off.

"It's a microdot sticker!" Nancy said. "Dan, call the senator. I think we just found Roberto's list."

* * *

Things moved quickly after that. The senator took the microdot to be analyzed by the FBI, while Nancy and the others were taken to the safe house. The excitement of solving a mystery soon turned cold, as the hours passed, and there was no update on anything.

"Do you think she forgot about us?" Bess asked.

It was eleven thirty the next morning, by the time Dan arrived.

"The situation is over, and we are all safe now," he said. "You were 100% correct, Nancy. Roberto hid the list inside a microdot."

"But why hide it inside the airport?" Nancy asked.

"That, we have no idea. Spies work in mysterious ways," Dan said. "But the list has been analyzed, and we have the names of the five people that the dictator wants to kill. They have all been put into custody."

"Including me?" Teresa asked.

"No, and that's why I'm here," Dan said. "It turns out that you're not on the list, Teresa."

"So her life isn't in danger?" George asked.

"Nope! I guess the bandits were never interested in you. They just wanted to get at Roberto. Now that they've all been arrested, you're safe to do whatever you want."

"Hooray!"

"Wait a second. What about their boss? El Morro?" Nancy asked.

"The hitman? He won't be able to kill anyone, now that all the assassination targets are in our custody," Dan said. "To be honest, I doubt he was ever involved with this case. He doesn't make mistakes like the bandits did."

"If Teresa is free to go, does that mean we can leave, too?" Bess asked.

"Absolutely," Dan said. "Where do you want to go first? To the tennis tournament, or to your hotel?"

"Maybe you could take us on a tour of the capitol building," Bess said. "I'd love to hear an insider's opinion on what it's like to work with Congress!"

As the group discussed where they would go, Nancy thought over the details of the case. Something that Dan said struck her as odd, and it took a while before she figured out what it was.

"Dan?" she asked. "How many names were on that list, again?"

"Five," he said.

"No," Nancy said, shaking her head. "That's wrong. Senator Kilpatrick said the list had _six_ names on it."

"Hey, yeah, you're right!" George said.

"I saw the list. There are only five names." Dan looked at Nancy seriously. "Are you saying there's a name missing from the list?"

"It's a possibility," Nancy said.

"I'll contact the senator right away," Dan said. He marched over to the nearest phone and called Senator Kilpatrick's office. When she didn't answer, he hung up.

"She's not there," Dan said, shaking his head. "And this lead is too important to pass up. I'll call my partner. Maybe he knows where Marilyn is."

"Wait," Nancy said suddenly. "I know where she is."

"Where?" Bess asked.

"Don't you remember?" Nancy asked. "Senator Kilpatrick is having lunch with my dad."

* * *

**Author's Note:** In the book, there is a second car chase scene, as our heroes leave the airport. Two car chases in a row is sort of pushing it, in my opinion. The second car chase ends with Nancy's car being pushed over a guardrail, where they land safely at the bottom of an embankment.


	12. Chapter 12

"Well, we can't call _every_ restaurant in DC and ask them if your father's there," Dan said. "You'll have to be more specific."

"How am I supposed to know what restaurants my dad goes to when he's here?" Nancy asked. "You work with Senator Kilpatrick. What places does she usually go?"

"The Monocle, or the American Café," Dan said, after some thought. "She's working today, so she can't have gone _too _far. I'll call someone else at the office and see if they know."

Nancy's eyes hardened, as she considered the situation. "We have to get moving. I'll drive," she said. "You can call the feds on the car phone."

"Not gonna happen," Dan said. "I'm the police officer, not you. Besides, do you even know how to get there from here?"

"No, but there will be signs," Nancy said. "I can...I can go to the Watergate! That's the closest place to the capital, right?"

"Better not argue," Bess advised Dan. "It's impossible to change Nancy's mind when she gets like this."

"Let's go!" Nancy barked. "My dad's life is in danger!"

"Take a moment and calm down," Dan said. "I'll take care of everything."

Dan took Nancy and the others to his car, where he contacted his own police station. He quickly identified himself and his location, then asked for an escort. It was not too long before a police car appeared behind them and turned on its siren. This cleared the way so they could get into D.C. as quickly as possible.

Dan made more calls along the way, but Senator Kilpatrick's aides couldn't tell him anything besides for the fact that she had mentioned privacy. Nancy, who was pouring over a map that Bess had thought to grab, let out a cry, as something clicked in her mind.

"What is it?" Dan asked.

"The Hay-Adams Hotel! Dad was there last trip. He said something about how it a good place to have a conference, because you couldn't be overheard by other tables—"

"Got it," Dan said. He took a left at the next light, and they raced through central Washington. The historic Hay-Adams Hotel soon came into view, and Dan pulled over against the curb.

Dan and the other policemen exited their cars, but Nancy was faster. Dan cried out, as she raced across the sidewalk. She almost knocked down two people who were in her way, then she ran through the entrance doors. Not stopping as she went through the lobby, Nancy quickly located a sign leading to the Victorian restaurant with a high ceiling.

Nancy stopped near a table with a vase of red roses. Her eyes swept the room, and she sighed in relief as she saw her father. She called out to him, and he looked up, startled. Carson rose from his chair, at the same time Senator Kilpatrick turned around to look at Nancy.

A gleam of light hit Nancy's eyes, just like what happened when she was playing tennis. Instead of taking a second to look the source of the light, Nancy reacted immediately. _"Dad! Get down!"_ she screamed, afraid it was the gleam from a gun barrel.

Carson wasted no time. He threw himself down beneath the table. Senator Kilpatrick fell backwards, almost at the same time two shots rang out. One of the crystal goblets on the table shattered, and somebody screamed.

Within seconds, the police were everywhere. Nancy breathed heavily. Her father was most likely uninjured, but was Senator Kilpatrick okay? After all, she was the assassin's target.

_I should have realized sooner that Senator Kilpatrick was the sixth name on the list_, Nancy berated herself. _Why **wouldn't** she be one of the Americans that the dictator wants to kill? She's working to overthrow his government!_

The police raced in the direction from which the shots had come, and Dan stopped next to Nancy. He asked her a question, but she didn't hear it. The only thing she noticed was a dark figure, leaping forward.

"No!" Nancy cried. She grabbed Dan's arm.

Dan swung around, as the figure came running straight toward Nancy. The gun was still in his hand. Dan reacted too slowly, as the figure swung his gun down at Dan and successfully connected.

Nancy grabbed the vase of roses, as the assassin turned on her. She flung it into his face, knocking him backwards. The gun fired and hit a chandelier. He let out a yell of fury and brought his hand with the gun towards her, but Nancy had bought enough time. One of the police officers tackled the assassin, and he was quickly cuffed.

Relieved, Nancy ran to her father's arms and collapsed inside them. It was finally over. They were safe now.


	13. Chapter 13

Senator Kilpatrick, as it turned out, was uninjured from the assassination attempt. Nancy found herself explaining the situation to her, when they were interrupted by Bess and George.

"I would have been here sooner, but the injuries," George said. She rubbed her leg. "Don't tell me we missed out on everything _again_."

"You say that like it's a bad thing," Bess said. "If we have any more hair-pulling escapes, I'll soon be as bald as Nancy's dad, here."

"Bess, George," Carson said seriously. "Glad to see falling off a scoreboard hasn't hurt your sense of humor. And this young lady must be Teresa."

Carson held out his hand, and Teresa shook it. "Hello, Mr. Drew," she said. "It is good to meet you. Your daughter is a very wonderful person."

"Don't I know it," he said, smiling.

* * *

The rest of the trip to Washington D.C. was smooth and comfortable, especially compared to the past few days. El Morro was formally arrested, and the most difficult thing Nancy had to do was watch several hours of tennis while sitting in the sun.

Teresa was still upset over the murder of her boyfriend, but she did not let this interfere with her tennis game. If anything, it made her more determined than ever to win. She ended up placing second in the Semi-Pro Women's Tennis Tournament.

To everyone's surprise, Teresa did not accept her trophy as a citizen of San Carlos. She accepted it under the American flag.

"I am going to become a United States citizen," she said proudly to the reporters who were covering the event. "I will never go back to San Carlos again."

"In other words, she's been granted political asylum by our government," Carson Drew whispered to his daughter.

"Is that the project you've been working on for the past few days?" Nancy whispered back.

Carson simply said, "Maybe."

Teresa's official guardians were not so fortunate. Thanks to their strong ties to the San Carlos dictator, they were sent back to their country, without much fuss or consideration for their feelings. Needless to say, they were unhappy to have spent the majority of the trip in the custody of the FBI.

Nancy and her friends had a minor celebration that night, in honor of Teresa's victory. It doubled as a farewell party, since they would be leaving the following morning.

"Thank you, Gemela," Teresa said, hugging Nancy. "If not for you, I would lose the tournament!"

"And if it wasn't for your quick thinking, I would most likely be dead right now," Senator Kilpatrick said. "America owes you a debt of gratitude."

"Not for the first time," Bess muttered.

"Hey, cheer up," George said, nudging her cousin. "I thought you were happy about Dan's promotion to the Senator's full-time bodyguard. It means he'll spend more time in Illinois."

"Yeah, I'm glad he got promoted, but now I'll never see him again," Bess said. "How often do senators visit River Heights? They mostly go to Chicago or Springfield."

"True, but at least you're not grounded like I am," George said. "I mean, I'm eighteen! My parents can't ground me for three months, just because they don't like what I did! It's ridiculous!"

"I know, right?"

"Okay, break it up, you two," Nancy said. "You both helped a lot this week. You should be proud."

"Us? _You're_ the hero who stopped the assassin. All I did was put makeup on you," Bess complained.

"And I just swung on a banner, into a car, like a moron," George said.

"I wish I had been there to see that," Bess said. "It sounds hilarious."

"Personally, the thing which surprises me the most about the whole ordeal is how much Teresa looks like Nancy," Carson Drew said. "I would never suspect that you're from South America."

"My mother was Irish," Teresa said. "It's where I get my red hair."

"That must be it," Nancy said. "Mine was Scottish."

"What about your dad? Does he look like Mr. Drew?"Bess asked. "I mean, you and Nancy are practically twins!"

"My father has more hair than Mr. Drew," Teresa said simply.

Carson Drew frowned as the ladies burst out laughing.

**The End**


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